This article is a brief exploration of Laurea’s course integrating the professional development and Finnish language skills of international nursing students. The article encourages further dialogues, actions, and initiatives towards the enhancement of international students’ employability in Finland.

Introduction

International students’ Finnish language competence is a topic of concern in relation to the labour market. Their preparedness for Finnish jobs during and after their studies at Finnish universities is a challenging experience when they aim at internships and jobs where Finnish language is required (Pitkänen et al., 2023). It is common practice that international students enroll into degrees in English, where they are taught generic Finnish language. It has been argued on whether such language courses contribute to those students succeeding in their professional lives (Saleem, 2023; UEF, 2023). This article presents an example of good practice from Laurea University of Applied Sciences, where a nursing course during one semester supports the strengthening of international students’ Finnish professional language skills.

Here I provide the background for this exploration, a brief description of the nursing course, and share some relevant feedback from the students and teachers. The purpose is to highlight the relevance for intervention within the curricula as it is a highly desirable course by international students contributing to their overall professional development in Finland.

Background

During our work in the Maku project -Moniaistinen kosketus uuteen kieleen (in English MALL for Multisensory approaches to language learning) we have collaborated with diverse stakeholders in various service fields (Laurea, 2023). A stakeholder in the health care sector was interested in supporting their international employees in their Finnish language learning and work performance regarding the ABCDE (Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure) approach and the ISBAR (Identify, Situation, Background, Assessment and Recommendation) tool. These are tools in nursing education and used in everyday nursing practice (Haddeland et al., 2022; Smith & Bowden, 2017). To support the Maku team, I went to explore Laurea’s own approach to teaching the ABCDE and ISBAR to international students.

The course in a nutshell

The process for this brief case study was straightforward. I contacted few lecturers enquiring about professional Finnish language teaching in nursing. I was directed towards the lecturers in charge of a course titled Boosting your professional Finnish in nursing by simulations. This course originated from a joint project between Laurea UAS and Metropolia UAS, which developed the content for the Canvas virtual learning environment used by Laurea.

The course is offered to international nursing students who have been taught in English for the first two years of studies. By then, the students have also received some Finnish language lessons. The objective of the course is to integrate professional Finnish language skills through the collaboration of a nursing lecturer and a Finnish language lecturer. To achieve that objective, a weekly session prepares students for a simulation exercise where they will display their Finnish language skills in specific nursing scenarios that they will also enact. The weekly session is divided into two parts. The morning session, led by the nursing lecturer, is on the nursing topics where the students revise the content and work together. The second session, led by the Finnish language teacher, supports the acquisition and use of specific Finnish vocabulary and grammar with various exercises. The main language of both sessions is Finnish, and English is used to support learning. The simulations are observed and evaluated by both lecturers and the students also write their own self-assessment through a reflective diary. All of that requires strong teamwork within the teaching team.

Initially my objective was to find out how the lecturers teach the ABCDE approach and the ISBAR tool, and the potential challenges for international students in relation to Finnish language. The nursing and Finnish language lecturers, and the students agreed to collaborate with the Maku project, such collaboration entailed initial and final interviews, observations of teaching sessions, and conversations with students and the teachers during those sessions.

Findings from the learning and teaching experiences

During the lessons, the students displayed their knowledge of the nursing content previously acquired in English. Slowly, they dared to speak in Finnish, which was challenging. Similarly to any language learning scenario that we have encountered through the Maku project, the level of language skills varied from student to student, requiring constant teacher and peer support and encouragement. Since the class was small, less than fifteen students, they all had the opportunity to participate. Regarding ISBAR and the ABCDE, the students have learned them in English, and the teacher provided the content in English and Finnish, so students could manage the learning process.

As reported by one of the lecturers, during the simulations, students were assessed against their use of Finnish language skills in nursing by each teacher. Thus, assessment was done over nursing knowledge and adequate Finnish language expressions in the work environment, and on the correct grammatical use.

At this point it is important to provide a brief analysis of the abovementioned findings. Through the course, the students engaged more with the given tasks and displayed certain level of flow in their learning. In Maku, we have explored flow in language learning as it correlates the satisfaction found in performing a given task, the ability to maintain one’s attention, and the development of the learners’ skills (Rivera-Macias et al., 2023). We could argue that flow happened due to the students’ intrinsic motivation, a key concept referring to ‘doing something because it is inherently interesting or enjoyable’ (Ryan & Deci, 2000, p. 55). For international students, enjoying their learning of Finnish language applicable to their profession, can bring a satisfaction with larger positive implications such as the affordance of a great sense of autonomy (Ryan & Deci, 2000) potentially creating a virtuous cycle underpinning foreign language learning (Marszalek et al., 2022).

Furthermore, the lecturers’ role and presence were fundamental because they are the main Finnish native-speakers and professionals with whom the international students interact at the university. This relates to inter-cultural contact as Aubrey (2016) found out that there is a strong link between it and language learning as it has the potential to enhance flow. For instance, during the teaching sessions, the lecturers built an atmosphere that facilitated the development of trust. They were there to guide professionally and with empathy. The students commented that while it is not easy for them to use Finnish around nursing topics, they value it, and courses like this are needed from the beginning of their studies. They find challenging to do internships not knowing the concepts and way of working in Finnish.

Finally, based on interviews we have done for Maku with degree lecturers and Finnish language teachers, and from anecdotical conversations with language teachers at other universities here in Finland, we have learned that Finnish courses in themselves are not enough to prepare students for the work life. Language and degree teachers feel a disconnection between their work, and there is a need to create links between their roles to contribute to international students’ professional success in Finland after graduation. Facilitating opportunities where native Finnish students study together with international students in Finnish language would also support it.

Closing remarks

The learning of specific professional Finnish language during their studies, increases the international students’ chances to perform better at their internships and future jobs. Additionally, in this example of good practice, simulations are used for supporting learning in general and for specific language acquisition and competence development.

Lastly, this is an invitation to communicate other examples of practice, and to connect with professionals across disciplines who are interested in collaborating towards co-developing and testing such initiatives. The key reason is towards international talent’s successful participation of the job market.

References

• Aubrey, S. 2016. Inter-cultural contact and flow in a task-based Japanese EFL classroom. Language Teaching Research, 21(6), 717–734.
• Haddeland, K., Marthinsen, G. N., Söderhamn, U., Flateland, S. M. T., & Moi, E. M. B. 2022. Experiences of using the ISBAR tool after an intervention: A focus group study among critical care nurses and anaesthesiologists. Intensive and Critical Care Nursing, 70, 103195.
• Laurea 2023. Moniaistinen kosketus uuteen kieleen. Laurea-ammattikorkeakoulu. Accessed 10 June 2024.
• Marszalek, J. M., Balagna, D., Kim, A. K., & Patel, S. A. 2022. Self-concept and intrinsic motivation in foreign language learning: The connection between flow and the L2 self. Frontiers in Education, 7.
• Pitkänen, V., Välimäki, M., Niemi, M. K., Paljakka, M., & Veijola, R. 2023. International students in Finland: Studies, everyday life, employment and plans for the future. Accessed 10 June 2024.
• Rivera-Macias, B., Lydén, H., Heikinmatti, S., & Leminen, A. 2023. Facilitating flow in foreign language learning. Laurea Journal. Accessed 10 June 2024.
• Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. 2000. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25(1), 54–67.
• Saleem, S. 2023. Enhancing career prospects of international students in Finland using service design approach. Novia University of Applied Sciences. Accessed 10 June 2024.
• Smith, D., & Bowden, T. 2017. Using the ABCDE approach to assess the deteriorating patient. Nursing Standard, 32(14), 51–63.
• UEF. 2023. Talent Hub Eastern Finland. University of Eastern Finland. Accessed 10 June 2024.